China to hold press conference on Covid today

China will hold a press conference today on its COVID measures. According to a statement from the NHC, representatives from the National Health Commission, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a briefing at 3:00 p.m. The press briefing, which will discuss the implementation of COVID prevention and control measures, is expected to either declare an end to the Zero-COVID policy or ease it. Protests over China’s strict COVID restrictions came after a deadly apartment fire in the country’s far west on Thursday, where millions of people are under some of the country’s longest lockdowns and are banned from leaving their homes for up to 100 days. The protests have spread to several cities after clashes broke out between demonstrators and police in Shanghai.